26 October 2016

DPMM FC ended their Singapore League (S-League) season with a surprising 2-0 defeat at the hands of Balestier Khalsa FC last night.

The Croatian duo of Niko Tokic and Miroslav Kristic found the back of the net at the Toa Payoh Stadium in Singapore to give the Tigers their first victory in nine games in all competitions and send the Brunei side to their first league defeat in 10 matches.

According to the S-League’s Twitter updates, Balestier troubled early on after Fadhil Noh sent a cross deep into the box but Tokic couldn’t place his header on target.

Hazzuwan Halim delivered a cross off a free-kick minutes later but Tokic was unable to head the ball in.

At the other end, Paulo Sergio got past three defenders but his cross to S-League topscorer Rafael Ramazotti was stopped by Nurullah Hussein.

Tokic connected on Hazzuwan’s ball from their own half on the half hour mark but couldn’t put the ball past DPMM FC goalkeeper Wardun Yussof.

Ramazotti did get another chance after a ball was chested down by Azwan Ali Rahman (pic) for him, but the Brazilian blasted his attempt wide.

Balestier were on target on the hour mark after Tokic got at the end of a Kristic cross but the former fired straight at Wardun.

The hosts then took the lead in the 67th minute after Tokic tapped home Hazzuwan’s ball across goal.

DPMM FC made two attacking changes for the last 15 minutes by sending on brothers Shahrazen and Adi Said for the duo of Ak Yura Indera Putera Pg Yunos and Azwan Ali.

However, it was Balestier who killed off the game completely with Kristic firing past Wardun at the death.

KWON Oh-son (pic) been tasked with leading the national football team at next week’s AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Solidarity Cup 2016 in Kuching.

The seasoned South Korean coach will take over the duties of interim national coach Mike Wong Mun Heng for the Nov 2-15 tournament.

The decision was made with the work load piling up for Wong, who is the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) technical director.

Wong will have to be around when FIFA officials visit the sultanate for a field inspection at the NFABD House in Berakas during the second week of next month, and he will also be attending a meeting in Kuala Lumpur a few days later.

“I’m basically just swapping places with Kwon,” said Wong in an interview with The Brunei Times on Tuesday.

“We looked at the coaches here and Kwon is the most experienced.

“He has been here and knows the boys. We needed a coach who knows the boys — which is important — and he knows the international exposure that we have.

“He is the best candidate at the present moment. The players going are more or less the same (as the team at the recently concluded ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup 2016 qualifiers which Wong coached), with two of them unable to play due to exams,” continued the Singaporean.

Kwon held his first two training sessions with the national team on Tuesday - excluding the professional players from DPMM FC.

The 57-year-old is no stranger to the national set-up, with his biggest achievement to date the 2012 Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy which he helped the national Under-21 football team claim for the first time.

He also led the national team at the AFF Suzuki Cup 2012 qualifiers in Myanmar, where they came close to qualifying for the tournament proper with two wins and two losses.

Born in Seoul, Kwon played for Seoul City FC and represented his country 11 times as a central defender from 1980-1983.

However, he missed his chance to represent Korea during the 1982 World Cup in Spain due to injury.

After his stint as a professional footballer from 1979-1983, Kwon retired from playing football the following year to pursue his coaching licenses.

Kwon eventually became the head coach of Seoul Metropolitan City FC for 13 years and was later appointed as a Korean Football Association Technical Committee member.

Brunei are placed in Group A together with Nepal and Timor Leste at the AFC Solidarity Cup 2016 while Sri Lanka, Macau, Mongolia and Laos make up Group B.

The sultanate will kick off against Timor Leste in the opener next Wednesday.

Brunei are the lowest-ranked team in their group in 192nd while Nepal and Timor Leste are in joint-186th.

Laos are the highest-ranked team in the competition at 175th followed by Sri Lanka (194), Macau (196) and Mongolia (202) in Group B.

The Wasps haven’t had much time to rest after returning from the AFF Suzuki Cup 2016 qualifiers in Cambodia on Saturday.

They started out with a 2-1 win over Timor Leste on Oct 15 before falling 3-0 to Cambodia in the second match three days later.

The sultanate then put up a strong fight but were edged 4-3 by Laos in their final match on Friday.

22 October 2016

TAMPINES Rover FC beat DPMM FC in battle for second place in the Singapore League (S-League) as the former defeated Balestier Khalsa FC 2-0 at Jurong West Stadium in Singapore last night.

With the win, the Stags now has unassailable five-point lead over third-placed DPMM FC on 46 points with one game left to play.

DPMM FC — who won the S-League for the first time last year — are in superb form having only lost once in their last 13 matches in all competitions and they will remain in third place in the nine-team league table regardless of their last match result against Balestier Khalsa on Wednesday.

Atsushi Kawata, Masaya Jitozono and Rui Kumada all found the net in the victory as they become the first team to win all three Singapore trophies this year.

The Whites Swans — who lost 3-1 to Home United FC on Thursday — still have silverware to play for as they seek the first-ever quadruple by taking home the Singapore Cup when they face Tampines Rovers in the final on Saturday.

THERE are no more non-league teams left in the DST FA Cup after both DSP United and IKLS FC were knocked out by DST Premier League sides in the third round yesterday.

Setia Perdana moved into the next round after edging DSP United 2-1 while IKLS FC defeated FC Phosphor 4-1 yesterday.

Setia Perdana took the lead just before the interval courtesy of Aimmil Rahman Ramlee in the 39th minute at the Balapan Track and Field of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.

Aziz Hanafi Hj Bakri then doubled the DST Premier League side’s advantage in the 86th minute but there was drama late on after Pg Ahmad Safwan Zulmajdi Pg Hj Rajid netted in the 90th minute - though it proved to be a mere consolation.

The victory sets them up a meeting against Lun Bawang.

Over the Berakas Sports Complex, Azmain put IKLS FC in front in the 14th minute with a goal that was cancelled out by Md Khairulizam Pungut in the 64th minute.

It didn’t take long for IKLS FC to regain the lead after Md Sapri Hj Md Salleh found the back of the net eight minutes later.

Ak Md Syahiiruddin then doubled their lead late on before Md Sapri added a second in stoppage time to complete the victory.

IKLS FC will be up against Najip I-Team in the fourth round.

The competition continues tomorrow with two more third round matches.

Al-Idrus Junior will take on Panchor Murai FC at 3.45pm while Kilanas FC and Besa FC will do battle at 8.15pm.

A SECOND half hat-trick by Phatthana Syvilay lifted Laos to a 4-3 win over Brunei in their AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup 2016 qualifier at the RSN Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last night.

Despite Laos’ win, it will be Cambodia who will join Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar in Group B of the tournament proper after beating Timor Leste 3-2 in last night’s other game to top the four-team qualifiers with a maximum of nine points from three wins.

The loss means that Brunei have now failed to beat Laos in each of their last five meetings at the qualifiers dating back to 2006.

Brunei finished third in this year’s qualifiers with three points from as many games after opening their campaign last Saturday with a 2-1 win against Timor Leste — who failed to win any of their games and end at the bottom of the table. Brunei made three changes to their backline with Azwan Salleh, Khairil Shahme Suhaimi and Hairol Azaman Shah Abdullah starting.

Azizi Ali Rahman was also given his first start of the campaign and had two chances inside the first five minutes of the game.

However, he couldn’t get enough power on his shot to trouble Laos goalkeeper Vathana Keodouangdeth after being put through by Faiq Jefri Bolkiah -— and just missed on the connection from Azwan Salleh’s cross from the right in front of goal moments later.

After an equally contested opening half hour, Brunei found the back of the net after Faiq played Azizi through before cutting back for Adi Said to fire home — only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

The Wasps grabbed the lead in the 36th minute after Azwan’s corner kick was chested down by Azizi Ali Rahman and fired home by Adi from point blank range.

Laos levelled in late in the first half with skipper Paseuthsack Souliyavong sending Soukaphone Vongchiemkham through on goal to slot past Brunei goalkeeper Wardun Yussof.

Laos should have got in front two minutes after the interval following good ball movement to see Paseuthsack through, but his chip over Wardun just dipped over the crossbar.

Soukaphone was brought down in the 50th minute after a tackle by a Brunei defender resulted in a penalty for Laos.

Phatthana made no mistake from the spot with a panenka to give his country the lead.

It was 3-1 seven minutes later after Wardun parried Maitee Maitee’s cross to the path of Phatthana to nod home from inside the six-yard box.

Brunei were awarded a penalty in the 66th minute after a handball inside the box.

Faiq stepped up to fire the spot kick into the bottom right corner for his first international goal, with Vathana going the wrong way to give Brunei a lifeline.

He then played a good ball forward for substitute Razimie Ramli to give chase seven minutes later, but Vathana came out of the box for a good tackle.

Instead, Phatthana completed his hat-trick in 25 minutes after getting at the end of Maitee Maitee’s cross from the left at the far post.

The Wasps battled to get back in the game but it came too late as Razimie netted right at the death as a consolation.

The sultanate will now turn their attention to the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Solidarity Cup 2016 from Nov 2-15 in Kuching.

20 October 2016

YEE CHUN LEONG BANDAR SERI BEGAWANHIS Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah, president of the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD), urged the national football team to fight till the end when they take on Laos in their final game of the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup qualifiers in Cambodia tomorrow.The Wasps opened their campaign with a 2-1 win over Timor Leste on Saturday before slipping 3-0 to the hosts in their second game on Tuesday night at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh.Cambodia are now favourites to go through with a maximum of six points but it is still mathematically possible for Brunei to pip them for the only spot on offer to the tournament proper to join Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar in Group B. However, it will be no easy task as the Wasps must win their game and hope that Cambodia slip up against Timor Leste by a favourable scoreline.“Let’s hope we play well on Friday,” said HRH in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.“I know it is very hard to qualify but nobody knows. The ball is round,” HRH added.HRH was delighted with the Wasps for picking up the opening win, which is their first in the qualifiers in almost exactly four years, but felt that stamina is lacking.HRH hopes that they will be able to keep their concentration for the full 90 minutes.“In the first game, they were really good and played well. I’m very happy with the result,” said HRH.“But last night (Tuesday night), Cambodia are a very good team as they got the skills and speed. They also got the stamina.“Our team, not only in the Suzuki Cup but also in the SEA Games in Singapore last year, are gone either in the first 10 minutes or the last 20 minutes,” HRH added.“It was also seen in the friendly matches against Malaysia’s Under-22 football team.“The players may be nervous in the first 10 minutes but later on we lack the stamina and that’s when we lose our concentration. But regardless it is getting better and we have improved from before,” continued the NFABD president.The Wasps will want to finish the qualifiers on a high considering that the inaugural AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Solidarity Cup 2016 will start early next month in Malaysia.HRH hopes that the team will continue to stick together to tackle the Nov 2-15 competition to be held in Kuching.“We want to keep the same team together for the Solidarity Cup. We should have the same officials and coaches,” said HRH.“Changing those would mean different tactics and ideas. We will have them together at least till the competition is over,” concluded HRH. A total of seven countries will vie for top honours in the tournament after the withdrawal of Bangladesh and Pakistan.The Wasps are placed in Group A together with Nepal and Timor Leste while Sri Lanka, Macau, Mongolia and Laos make up Group B.The tournament will be held at two venues — Sarawak Stadium and Negeri Stadium — in Kuching and the sultanate will kick things off against Timor Leste in the opener on Nov 2.The Brunei Times

THE national football team’s chances of qualifying for the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup 2016 took a huge blow after falling 3-0 to Cambodia last night.

The Wasps never recovered from conceding twice in the opening 10 minutes of the rain-marred encounter, thanks to goals from Prak Mony Udom and Keo Sokpheng before the former added another late in the opening half at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh.

“We conceded two goals in the first 10 minutes. We were chasing the game after that. Credits to Cambodia who came out with good support, fans support,” Mike Wong Mun Heng, Brunei’s interim national coach, was quoted as saying on the AFF website. “We tried to be competitive in all areas. We created the opportunities to score goals and at least tried to come back but we never did score from the chances that were created,” he added.

Cambodia are favourites to claim the only spot to join Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam in Group B of the tournament proper as they are now on six points and have a superior goal difference.

Brunei are mathematically still able to qualify but now have to beat Laos, who edged Timor Leste 2-1 in the other game yesterday, on Friday and hope that Cambodia slip up against Timor Leste by a favourable scoreline.

The Wasps made one change from their 2-1 win over Timor Leste on Saturday with Rosmin Hj Md Kamis starting in place of an injured Najib Hj Tarif in the backline.

Brunei were on target in the opening minutes of the game but Shahrazen Said’s shot heading to the bottom right corner was kept out by Cambodian goalkeeper and skipper Um Sereyroth.

Brunei custodian Wardun Yussof was called into action in the fifth minute having to keep out Tith Dina’s long range effort for a corner kick.

The hosts grabbed the lead from Udom’s ensuing corner kick as it was mistakenly tipped into goal by Wardun.

Cambodia doubled their advantage three minutes later after Chan Vathanaka’s free-kick from the right was headed back into the danger area by Sok Sovan for Sokpheng to fire home.

Brunei skipper Faiq Jefri Bolkiah put Adi Said through in the 23rd minute but the latter’s shot was saved by Sereyroth. Wardun was kept busy and made a double save around the half hour mark.

Brunei were having trouble dealing with the speed of their opponents especially down the flanks and Md Asnawi Syazni Abd Aziz was sent on to replace Mohammad Shafie Hj Md Effendy in the backline in the 40th minute.

Cambodia added to their tally three minutes later after Vathanaka played Udom through and the latter rounded Wardun to put the ball into an empty net.

The Wasps had an opportunity to pull one back just before the interval after good work from Faiq down the left flank before putting it across goal.

Sereyroth got a hand to it only for it to land for Adi but the latter got it all wrong by blasting over from eight yards out.

The second half didn’t provide as much but Brunei tried to get back by making an attacking change by sending on Azizi Ali Rahman for Adi in the 65th minute.

Their best chance came in the 77th minute when Ak Fakharazzi Pg Hj Hassan struck one from inside the box only to watch it go narrowly over the crossbar.

More disaster struck for the Wasps as they finished the match with 10 men after Ak Yura Indera Putera Pg Yunos was red carded for pulling down Dina at the edge of the box moments before the final whistle.

Cambodia coach Lee Tae-hoon felt that his charges stuck to the game plan and he took a more cautious approach after the interval.

“I told the players that we needed to create a high pressure game,” said Lee.

“The players followed my order but in the second half, they lost concentration. I was worried about injuries so I changed some of the players after the break,” concluded the South Korean.

17 October 2016

INTERIM national coachMike Wong Mun Heng (pic) called on the national football team to keep their focus having to play in front of 50,000 spectators when they take on hosts Cambodia in the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup qualifiers today at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh.

Brunei are in a confident mood having started their campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Timor Leste on Saturday.

Rufino Walter Gama gave Timor Leste an early lead before goals by Adi Said, who turned 26 on that day, and Mohammad Shafie Hj Mohd Effendy in the span of six minutes saw them claim all three points from the encounter.

On the other hand, Cambodia were also victorious by the same scoreline against Laos in the later match.

“The fans in Cambodia have been rising through the years and they are very supportive regardless of the results,” said Wong in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

“We need to be very focused on what we are supposed to do tomorrow (Tuesday) and not be troubled by the big support that the hosts have. We need to cover the entire field and show our presence and be very competitive from the first whistle,” he added.

Wong felt that his charges will have to improve against Cambodia, who are favourites to make it into the tournament proper where they will compete with Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam in Group B, despite finishing in the win column.

Having taken the lead into interval, the Wasps sat in their own half much of the second half to soak in the pressure and almost paid the price in stoppage time with Timor Leste coming close to an equaliser.

“In every game, there will be positives and negatives,” said Wong. “We can’t sit too deep like the last game and we need to move the ball faster forward,” he added.

Brunei, who were without any of their professional players, fell to a 6-1 defeat to Cambodia in a friendly match in November last year at the same venue.

When asked what to watch out for against their opponents, Wong replied: “Cambodia have improved over the last seven to eight years as players from their youth development have been drafted into the national team.

“So they are tactically more sound than before. They use their wide areas well and have some good individual strong players,” added the NFABD (National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam) technical director.

It is going to be a difficult affair for Brunei considering that it normally takes more days to recover from playing on an artificial pitch. Wong has been given the additional dilemma as he may also be required to make a few changes to his line up as the duo of left-back Najib Hj Tarif and midfielder Azwan Salleh are doubtful while skipper Rosmin Hj Md Kamis, Mohammad Shafie and Ak Yura Indera Putera Pg Yunos are not at 100 per cent.

15 October 2016

13 October 2016

NATIONAL football team captain Rosmin Hj Md Kamis has urged his teammates to be fully focused on their AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup 2016 qualifying campaign in Cambodia this week.
Brunei will face Timor Leste, Cambodia and Laos in the qualifiers to be held from October 15-21, and only the winner of the four-country competition will progress to the tournament proper which will be co-hosted by Myanmar and the Philippines from November 19 to December 17.
The Wasps open their tournament against Timor Leste tomorrow, play hosts Cambodia on Tuesday and face Laos three days later.
“I want more concentration and focus from all the players,” said Rosmin in an interview with The Brunei Times prior to the national team’s departure at the Brunei International Airport yesterday.
“We cannot afford to lose focus — not even for one second — especially in this kind of tournament.
“The other countries have prepared well for this tournament so we need to concentrate more, otherwise we will be punished for it,” Rosmin (pic) warned.
The DPMM FC skipper highlighted the importance of getting their campaign off to a winning start if they are serious about qualifying for the tournament proper.
The qualifier will advance into Group B where they will play Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam. The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia make up Group A.
“The first game is always vital, especially when competing in a format like this,” Rosmin said.
“There are four teams in the group but only one team will progress to the next round, so we have no choice but to win if we want to get through.
“It is always nice to start the campaign strong, and then we can build from there.
“All the teams in the group are ahead of us in terms of ranking, but I am very sure that it will be a 50/50 game once we step onto the field.
“I also believe that at the end of the day, whoever gives more will be able to win this qualifier.
“As of now, on paper, Cambodia have been tipped to win the tournament. They are playing on home turf so they have the advantage,” he added.

Brunei assistant coach Ali Hj Mustafa is happy that the squad has gelled well together in training.
However, defence remains a concern for the team, especially after losing Reduan Hj Petara to injury during the two-match friendly tour against Malaysia’s Under-22 team last week.
Reduan has been replaced by Ak Yura Indera Putera Pg Yunos, who will partner Muhammad Hanif Hamir in the heart of defence.
“Reduan’s injury is a big loss for us because he is a good defender,” said Ali.
“For this tournament, we are emphasising more on defence and we also have worked on our transition to attack… So I hope everyone will be able to fulfill their role and work as a team.
“The players work well together and some have adapted to their new role quite comfortably, especially after the friendly matches against the Malaysian Under-22 team — so that is a very good sign for us,” he added.
The national team have also been boosted by the arrival of Faiq Jefri Bolkiah for the qualifiers, the forward — who plies his trade with English Premier League champions Leicester City — set to earn his first senior cap in Cambodia after previously playing for the national Under-23 and Under-19 sides.
He arrived in the sultanate on Saturday and joined his first training session on Monday.
“Faiq is a talented footballer and a very good addition to the team,” said Ali.
“He will play an important role in the team so I hope Faiq and the rest of the squad will work well together,” added Ali.
Present to send off the 23-player delegation led by team manager Hj Md Noor Hj Hamid was National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) acting deputy president Hj Madli Mohamad Yusuf.

DPMM FC coach Steve Kean is maintaining his side’s sharpness ahead of their final Singapore League (S-League) match of the season against Balestier Khalsa on Oct 26 despite almost half his squad away with the national team.
The Brunei club are left with 15 players — 13 outfield players and two goalkeepers — as the other 10 are in the national squad for the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup 2016 qualifiers which kicks off in Cambodia on Saturday.
The 10 include regulars from the starting line-up such as DPMM FC captain Rosmin Hj Md Kamis and fellow midfielders Azwan Salleh, Maududi Hilmi Kasmi and Najib Hj Tarif — together with forwards Shahrazen Said and Adi Said.
Also in the national side is goalkeeper Wardun Yussof as well as defenders Reduan Hj Petara, Ak Yura Indera Putera Pg Yunos and Ak Fakharazzi Pg Hj Hassan.
“Imagine the lads away with the national team all come back tired. It will be about this group making sure they are fresh and sharp,” said Kean (pic) in an interview with The Brunei Times after a training session where they played seven-a-side football on Tuesday.
“If I feel they have played too many games in Cambodia, it will be a starting XI that will come out from this group.
“All we can do is train well and be in good communication with the lads in Cambodia, most particularly during the last two games.
“If there are those who played 90 minutes, then they probably cannot play 90 minutes against Balestier,” continued the former Blackburn Rovers manager.
Brunei face Timor Leste in their opener on Saturday before playing Cambodia three days later. They end their trip with a game against Laos next Friday.
DPMM FC — who won the S-League for the first time last year — are in superb form having only lost once in their last 13 matches in all competitions and are riding a five-game win streak in the S-League after a 1-0 victory against Tampines Rovers at the Jurong West Stadium on Oct 1.
They are currently second in the nine-team table with 41 points, one ahead of the Stags, but have played two matches more.
Kean reiterated that his aim is to finish second.
“We want to finish second, and I’ve said that for a number of weeks. People laughed saying we are fighting for third,” said Kean when met at the Jerudong Mini Stadium.
“We are not giving up on second place and it is within our grasp now. It would be a great achievement in last three years to finish either first or second. That is the goal and only objective that is left,” added the Scotsman, who led DPMM FC to second in the S-League in his first season in charge in 2014.
Azwan Ali Rahman joined in on training yesterday but opted not to go with the national squad having to nurse a left ankle injury which he sustained back in July.
The DPMM FC coach felt that the decision was made to ensure he returns back 100 per cent.

“He felt he is not up to full speed so he didn’t want to go with the national team. He has missed a chunk of the games this season because of the injury,” said Kean.
“He felt that it is better to be safe than sorry. He didn’t want to go away and get injured again, and then spend the close season fighting to be fit again,” concluded Kean.
The S-League title can be decided this Friday should league leaders Albirex Niigata (S) FC secure all three points against Hougang United at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore.

INTERIM national football coach Mike Wong Mun Heng (pic) felt that they have achieved their aim despite results not going their way after returning from their training tour against Malaysia’s Under-22 team in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The Wasps slipped to a 2-0 defeat in the first of their two friendlies on Thursday at the Paroi Stadium in Negri Sembilan before an improved performance saw them getting edged 1-0 on Saturday.
“The results were not positive but we achieved what we wanted over there. It was the first international game for most of the players together for this year,” said Wong upon arrival at the Brunei International Airport yesterday.
“It was good as we had new boys joining us. It was something that we wanted and we achieved it,” he added.
The main target is the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup 2016 qualifers in Cambodia which will begin this Saturday with Brunei kicking things off against Timor Leste in the opener of the four-country competition.
Plenty of work is still required as the backline was shaky especially in the first match where the sultanate conceded two goals from set-pieces in the second half.
They are still a work in progress and according to Wong, he will have things sorted out in the next few training sessions.
“We shuffled the defence a little bit as the boys who play in the pro club go with the back-three or back-five. But now we are looking at back-four,” explained the Singaporean.
“There are different ways to look at it. We are looking at the dynamics of the grouping of players inside the field. We want to sort this out in the next two or three training sessions.
“We conceded two from set pieces and one from a very poor bouncing of the defence line. These are the things we looked at and spoke about it.
“We did well in second game defending setpieces after we rectified it,” he added.
“So we want to move on from there. I know people will be looking at the result as we lost two times. But it is not about results but more about what we want to achieve there.
“We know the difficulties of playing against Malaysia as they had some senior players and they had already played some international games (before us),” continued the NFABD (National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam) technical director.
Another cause for concern for the Wasps is upfront where they only produced one shot on target in each match and had five off target in total.
When asked on the situation, Wong replied, “Looking at the statistics, I sat down with the German coach (Frank Bernhardt) and we actually had better clear cut chances to score but we didn’t convert.
“I’m not worried about whether we can score or not. I’m more worried whether we can create enough number of opportunities to put the ball into the net,” he concluded.

THE national football team slipped to back-to-back defeats against Malaysia’s Under-22 team after falling to a 1-0 loss in their second friendly match yesterday.
Syafiq Ahmad, who scored both goals in the 2-0 victory over the Wasps in their first game on Thursday, once again got on the scoresheet at the Paroi Stadium in Negri Sembilan.
The Wasps now have less than a week to adjust before their first game in the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup 2016 qualifiers in Cambodia where they will face Timor Leste on Saturday.
It was an improved performance by the sultanate but they were having difficulties in the final third to threaten the Malaysia U-22 goal.
Brunei made three changes to the starting lineup with defender Hairol Azaman Shah Abdullah, midfielder Mohd Nurikhmal Damit and striker Adi Said taking the places of Reduan Hj Petara, Ak Yura Indera Putera Pg Yunos and Azizi Ali Rahman respectively.
The Wasps started out well and had a good opportunity in the third minute but Hanif headed over Ak Fakharazzi Pg Hassan’s cross from the right.
In turn, Malaysia U-22 broke the deadlock eight minutes later after a good defence splitting pass by Ahmad Khairil Anuar Ahmad Zamri from midfield to send Syafiq through on goal.
The Kedah FA striker got the better of right-back Ak Fakharazzi before firing past Brunei custodian Wardun Yussof for the lead.
The hosts should have added another but Md Danial Ashraf Abdullah couldn’t get a touch on Md Zairulizwan Mazlan’s ball from the left in front of goal.

Malaysia U-22 coach Franck Bernhardt ensured fresh legs in his backline by making two changes by sending on Dinesh Rajasingam and Md Syazwan Zaipol Bahari after the break.
The Wasps did threaten two minutes after the interval with Adi Said’s header from just inside the box but Malaysia U-22 goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed tipped it over.

Another chance went begging as Md Danial should have done better off a counterattack but skewed his shot from the edge of the box wide. Brunei went all out on attack in the last 10 minutes by sending on Azizi Ali in place of Hairol Azaman — playing three up front together with substitute Razimie Ramli and Shahrazen Said.

The hosts could have put more icing on the cake as Md Jafri Firdaus had his freekick from over 25 yards out denied by Wardun and he then miscued his shot from 10 yards out just before the final whistle.

07 October 2016

THERE is a lot of work to be done for the national football team after slipping to a 2-0 defeat to Malaysia’s Under-22 team in the first of their two friendly matches last night.

Syafiq Ahmad netted twice in the space of 10 minutes after coming on as a second half substitute at the Paroi Stadium in Negri Sembilan, and Brunei assistant coach Ali Hj Mustafa said there is plenty of room for improvement ahead of next week’s AFF Suzuki Cup 2016 qualifiers in Cambodia.

“It has been a long time since we played a competitive friendly game. In the first half, we showed good spirit to improve our game play,” said Ali in a post-match interview with Astro Arena.

“We also found some weaknesses to fix for the upcoming competition.

“We will have to improve on our second half after conceding two goals from set plays,” he added.

The Wasps started out the match with nine DPMM FC players — with only Adi Said on the bench — joining the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council’s (MS ABDB) Azizi Ali Rahman and Tabuan Under-21’s Hanif Hamir.

Malaysia U-22 should have taken the lead in the 14th minute when Nadarajah Thanabalan fired from inside the six-yard box — but it bounced off the face of Brunei goalkeeper Wardun Yussof.

Muhd Jafri Firdaus Muhd Chew — who played as the lone striker for the Malaysians — and Mohd Zairulizwan Mazlan both came close but watched their efforts finish at the wrong side of the post.

Brunei had only one shot the entire first half after a poor clearance by the hosts allowed Rosmin Hj Md Kamis to fire from 20 yards out, only to watch it go over the bar.

Malaysia’s coach Frank Bernhardt sent on Syafiq in the 63rd minute to combine with Jafri and substitute Arif Anwar up front. Brunei had their best chance of the game moments later with Azwan Salleh delivering a good free-kick from just outside the box, but Shahrazen Said headed the ball inches wide.

The hosts deservingly grabbed the lead after Syafiq headed home Irfan Zakaria’s free-kick from the edge of the box in the 74th minute.

The Kedah FC forward then doubled Malaysia’s advantage 10 minutes later off another set-piece when he connected on Syazwan Andik’s corner with a diving header from outside the six-yard box to beat Wardun.

The two teams will meet again at the same venue tomorrow. The game will shown live on Astro Arena at 5pm.

05 October 2016

INTERIM national coach Mike Wong Mun Heng is looking to gauge the performance of the national football team as they set out to Kuala Lumpur yesterday for two friendly matches against Malaysia’s Under-22 football team.

The Wasps will play the first match today and the second on Saturday – both at the Paroi Stadium in Negri Sembilan.

The national team — who have been training since June — assembled a 25-man squad after 10 players from DPMM FC joined training on Monday after the international break.

This will be DPMM FC players’ first taste of action together with the rest of the national players as the team prepares for next week’s AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup qualifiers in Cambodia.

“The professional players just joined us and now we want to look at the team’s level,” said Wong in an interview with The Brunei Times before the team’s departure at the Brunei International Airport yesterday.

“It is not about the opponents. What we want to put forward for the qualifiers will be seen in these two friendlies,” he added.

Wong (pic), who is the NFABD (National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam) technical director, also hopes that the professional players will adjust to the style of play.

“They have been with us for two days (Monday and Tuesday) and it is not so much about their fitness level,” said Wong.

“It is the tactics that we have to work on because we (national team) play differently from the club, so I hope they can get used to the way we want to play.

“This whole week we will be looking at set plays, and not just dead ball situations. We want to know how and where we want to defend,” added the Singaporean.

Wong is looking forward the arrival of Faiq Jefri Bolkiah, who is plying his trade with English Premier League champions Leicester City and only join the team next week.

Faiq, who was a member of the national Under-23 football team at last year’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Singapore, is set to earn his first senior cap when he laces up in Cambodia.

“Hopefully he will gel well with us. Some of the players know him having played in the SEA Games last year and we are looking forward to his inclusion,” concluded Wong.

Today’s friendly match today can be caught live on Astro Arena (Channel 801) at 8.30pm.

The sultanate will kick off the AFF Suzuki Cup qualifiers against Timor Leste next Saturday before facing Cambodia three days later. They will then complete their campaign against Laos on Oct 21.

The best team will advance into Group B where they will play Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam. Group A comprised of hosts the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

04 October 2016

THE national football team’s preparations for next week’s AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup 2016 qualifiers in Cambodia are now in full swing after the inclusion of DPMM FC players.
The Wasps — who have been training since June — now have a 25-man squad after 10 players from DPMM FC joined training on Monday at the NFABD (National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam) Field in Berakas.
DPMM FC captain Rosmin Hj Md Kamis and fellow DPMM FC midfielders Azwan Salleh, Maududi Hilmi Kasmi and Najib Hj Tarif have joined forwards Shahrazen Said and Adi Said in training with the national team. Also in the side is goalkeeper Wardun Yussof as well as defenders Reduan Hj Petara, Ak Yura Indera Putera Pg Yunos and Ak Fakharazzi Pg Hj Hassan.
The players joined the team after their 1-0 win against Tampines Rovers in the Singapore League on Saturday. DPMM FC play their final game of the season on Oct 26 against Balestier Khalsa.
Faiq Jefri Bolkiah, who is plying his trade with English Premier League champions Leicester City, is the only national player yet to link up with the team.
National football team manager Hj Mohd Noor Hj Hamid is looking forward to the boost provided by the DPMM FC players.
“Our national team’s preparation for the qualifiers is on track now that all the players are in training,” said Hj Mohd Noor in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.
“I hope we can perform well with this squad since they are experienced players and will be able to share their knowledge with the others,” he added.
Only the winner of the four-country qualifiers to be held from Oct 15-21 will progress to the tournament proper in the Philippines.
The sultanate will kick things off against Timor Leste next Saturday before facing Cambodia three days later. They will then complete the qualifiers against Laos on Oct 21.
The qualifier will advance into Group B where they will play Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam. Group A comprises of hosts the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.
Headed by interim national coach Mike Wong Mun Heng, who is also NFABD’s technical director, the Wasps will set out on a training tour to Kuala Lumpur today for friendly matches against Harimau Muda (the Malaysia Under-22 football team).
Hj Mohd Noor said they are hoping for good performances rather than results during the tune-up games.
“We will be looking for good performance and teamwork rather than results,” said Hj Mohd Noor.
“The coach has been working more on the players’ movement, how well they gel with each other and also the finishing for the strikers.
“It will be a trial for the players in the team and to give them a confidence boost because our opponents in the qualifiers are very tough,” he added.
“With only one slot up for grabs, we have to work very hard in order to qualify for the final round in the Philippines,” concluded the NFABD executive committee member.
Brunei, who were headed by DPMM FC coach Steve Kean, ended the 2014 qualifiers winless.
The Wasps started with a 4-2 loss to Timor Leste before slipping to Laos by the same scoreline in the second game.
They were out of contention following a 3-1 loss to Myanmar and ended their campaign with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Cambodia.
Brunei’s sole appearance in the main event remains in 1996 when they competed in the inaugural edition.